


Ring Around the Moon

by pirateenthusiast



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:49:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27770059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pirateenthusiast/pseuds/pirateenthusiast
Summary: An expansive look at Remus Lupin's time at Hogwarts and beyond. Watch the Marauders grow as friends as people.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 1





	1. The Wizard

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I need someone to beta this fic as I continue to update. Preferably someone British, so I can make sure I'm accurate in my usage of British slang and portrayal of British culture. If you are interested, please DM me on tumblr at @pirateenthusiast
> 
> That's it for now, enjoy the fic!

Remus laid on the floor with his hands behind his head and an open book resting on his stomach. Another full moon would be approaching that week, and to combat the dread, Remus did his usual activity of focusing on the crackle of a record playing to drown everything else out. He let his eyes droop closed and let the music his mother loved so much drift into his ears. 

_ “ I ride my bike, I roller skate, don’t drive no car. Don’t go to fast, but I go pretty far ” _

Remus hummed along to Melanie’s pure voice, feeling content. He allowed himself to get lost in the music. It was the only way to distract himself from the onslaught of thoughts that would otherwise plague him so close to the full moon. Fully immersed in the music, Remus didn’t notice the man entering his house until he was standing right above him.

“Hello young man.” a deep voice rumbled above Remus’ head. Remus stumbled awkwardly into a standing position. 

“Who are you?” He asked with concern, heart pounding. Last time a man had approached Remus like this, he had confronted Remus about his unusual monthly patterns of behavior and the Lupin’s had been forced to move once again. 

“I’m Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts.”

Remus’ eyebrows quirked in recognition at the names. He had heard his father talk about him before. What would Dumbledore want with Remus? 

Dumbledore seemed to sense Remus’ uncertainty. “Would you like to go to Hogwarts, Mr. Lupin?” Dumbledore asked. 

_ What kind of cruel question is that?  _ Remus thought.  _ Of course I do, but you know I can’t _ . However, the man seemed completely lacking in any form of cruelness. Rather, the question had been laced with kindness. “I can’t go. I’m too dangerous.” Remus looked at the ground

“Arrangements have been made.” Dumbledore explained. “With the necessary precautions, you will be able to attend Hogwarts with a perfectly normal experience.” 

Remus squinted up at the bearded man. This felt like some elaborate joke meant to get his hopes up, then crash them back down again. “Really?” 

“I assure you, there is no reason to believe you wouldn’t fit in just fine at Hogwarts.” Dumbledore smiled kindly. 

Remus bit his lip. This was too good to be true. He had heard and read all about Hogwarts and wanted nothing more to go, but he always had thought that it would be impossible. He felt overwhelmed at the possibility that he could actually go. He began to speak but the door opened violently. 

It was Remus’ father. “Albus, you had no right to come here and talk to my son. He can’t go. It’s too dangerous.” Lyall Lupin was fuming. 

“As I’ve already told you before, we’ve taken precautions that will make everything perfectly safe.” Dumbledore explained calmly. “If Remus wishes to attend Hogwarts, he will.”

“Well he doesn’t want to.” Lyall said definitively. Remus’ mother had entered the room as well, a look of concern on her face. 

Everyone looked to Remus expectantly. “Is this true?” Dumbledore asked.

Remus heard the record next to him end. The only sound in the room was the scratching of the needle against the blank vinyl. He took a shallow breath. “I really would like to go.” He said quietly.

“Well then it’s decided.” Dumbledore smiled. “We can discuss the arrangements furth-”

He was interrupted by Lyall throwing his arms up in the air. “No! No matter what you do, he’s  _ still _ a werewolf.”  _ werewolf  _ was said in a stage whisper, dripping with disdain.

Remus grit his teeth. His father was probably right. Even if he wanted to go, he was still a monster. It would be selfish to put other students at risk.

Remus’ mother stepped close to his father. “Lyall, Dumbledore knows what he’s doing. If Remus wants this, surely there’s no reason to make such a fuss.”   
  


Lyall sighed and rubbed his temple. “What are these so called ‘precautions’ you’ll be taking?” 

Remus’ breath hitched. He was going to go to Hogwarts.


	2. New Beginnings (YEAR ONE)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus starts his time at Hogwarts

The time between Dumbledore’s visit and Remus’ journey to Platform 9 ¾ was the longest week and a half Remus had ever waited. Soon after the visit, his father brought him to Diagon Alley to get his school supplies. Remus had looked around the shoppes in awe. He couldn’t believe that all this  _ magic  _ would soon be a part of his day to day life. Of course the mood of the shopping trip was severely dampened by his father’s constant reminders that no matter what, he would still be a dangerous monster. Remus tried to look past it. 

Now it was September first and Remus found himself standing before a brick wall. “I just run right in?” he turned to his father, uncertain. 

Lyall chuckled. “That’s right. Just do as I do.” he ran swiftly towards the wall and in an instant was gone. 

Remus gasped and clutched his bag tighter. “Ok.” he whispered to himself, and did the same. He braced for impact, but lo and behold, he had made it. Lyall smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Remus smiled proudly.

Lyall bent down to get on his son’s level. “Remember, Remus, listen to what Dumbledore tells you to do, and don’t tell anyone the truth about who you are-”

“I know, Dad.” Remus frowned and cut him off.

Lyall sighed. “I love you, son. Good luck. Now get on that train.” he gave a half smile. Remus returned it.

The Hogwarts Express pulled up to the station. Remus waved goodbye and stepped on. It was time.

  
  


🗲🗲🗲

Student after student boarded the train. Remus stumbled through the crowd and tried to find a cart to enter. He approached the door to one and peaked in. There sat a short boy with thin blond hair. He looked at Remus. “Hullo!” he smiled.

Remus sat down. “I’m Remus.” he said.

“Peter Pettigrew.” Peter stuck out a hand.

“Oh, uh, Lupin.” he took the hand and shook it. 

“Are you a first year too?” Peter asked.

Remus nodded. 

“What house do you reckon you’ll be in? My mom thinks I’ll be either a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor.” he boasted. 

Remus had done a fair bit of reading on Hogwarts, but he didn’t feel that he would fit in any of the houses. In fact, he was a bit nervous that the Sorting Hat would take one look at him and simply send him away. “Um,” his mother  _ had  _ always told him how brave he was. “Maybe Gryffindor for me, too.” he said. 

The boys jolted forward a bit as the train took off. Remus’ heart skipped. Here he was, one step closer to Hogwarts, to being a normal 11 year old boy. 

Remus took a fast liking to Peter. He was nice, and didn’t seem like he’d ask too many questions. They talked the whole way to Hogwarts, stopping only to feast on snacks from the trolley. Remus hadn’t brought any money, and was embarrassed when the trolley came around, but Peter had quickly offered to share a few Chocolate Frogs and Cauldron Cake. Remus’ stomach was full and his mouth hurt from grinning with Peter by the time they arrived at Hogwarts.

🗲🗲🗲

The combination of frogs and nerves made Remus’ stomach jump at the sorting ceremony.  _ I’m not going to get sorted. I don’t belong here. _ Said a voice in his head. He watched with intrigue as the other first years were sorted. Sometimes the hat took a few moments to decide, with other students, he would blast out his decision immediately. A lanky boy with dark curls and an air of importance sat on the stool. Despite his saunter, he looked downright terrified. The Hat shouted out “ **GRYFFINDOR** ”. There was hushed murmuring and surprised gasps all around the teachers and older students, particularly from the Slytherin table. The boy, eyes wide, swaggered over to the Gryffindor table and gave a thumbs up to someone Remus couldn’t see. He didn’t know what all the fuss was over one boy being sorted to Gryffindor, but he let it slip his mind as he watched the next student don the Hat. 

After what felt like an eternity, Remus’ name was called. Timidly, he walked up to the sorting hat and gulped. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants.  **_Hmm definitely a smart one, you are, but brave too_ ** **.** The hat said, thought? To Remus.  _ I’m a werewolf _ . He couldn’t stop himself from thinking.  **_Irrelevant. I believe you’d be best suited to_ ** a pause- “ **GRYFFINDOR** ”. 

Surprised, Remus slid off the stool and made his way to the table. The curly haired boy that had caused such a stir before (Sirius Black, he recalled the boy’s name) was looking at Remus. He waved him over. Remus took a seat next to him.

“Congratulations on Gryffindor!” he said. 

“You too.” Remus smiled warmly. “Why was everyone in such a fuss over you?” he asked. 

The boy’s smile seemed to falter for just a moment, but quickly snapped back into a grin. “I’m a Black, see.” he explained.

Remus nodded politely, unsure if that was supposed to mean something to him. “Oh, um, I’m a Lupin. Remus Lupin.”

Sirius gave him a quizzical look. “I take it you’re a muggleborn then?”

Remus blushed “No, I’ve got a wizard for a father I just don’t know too much about,” he waved his hands around “all this, I suppose.” 

“Oh-”

“Peter Pettigrew.” Remus turned back to the hat to watch his new friend get sorted. The hat seemed to rest there longer than it had for anyone else. Remus looked to Sirius in confusion. Sirius shrugged. Finally, the Hat called out. “ **GRYFFINDOR”** Remus smiled brightly and clapped along with everyone else. He gestured for Peter to sit next to him and Sirius. 

Soon after, a tan boy with unkempt hair that was also sorted into Gryffindor was grinning and walking over to the trio. He gave Sirius a high five. “First Black  _ ever _ not to be sorted into Slytherin. Good job mate, I told you you could do it!”

Ah, that it explained it, though Remus was confused how an entire family save one could share the same exact traits. 

“Right, who are you two, then?” asked the shaggy haired boy. 

“Oh, I’m Remus, and this is Peter.” Remus said.

“I’m James!” James smiled. 

The four talked as everyone continued to be sorted. Remus could hardly believe it. His first hour here and he already had three friends. It felt insane. The final student was sorted, Hufflepuff. Everyone continued to treat themselves to the giant feast laid out on the table. Remus had never seen so much food at once. Mid dinner roll, the woman who had been calling out the names approached. “Remus Lupin?” she inquired in her Scottish accent. 

He stopped chewing. “That’s me.”

“The headmaster will see you know.” she smiled.

Remus gave an apologetic look to his new friends and followed her. 

She led him up a tall old tower. He was sat at a desk across from Dumbledore, McGonagall by his side, as well as a woman Remus learned to be Madam Pomfrey. They went over the ‘arrangements’. On the evening of full moons, Remus would bring himself down to the infirmary, where Madam Pomfrey would prepare him and bring him to the magical tree on the school grounds where he could complete his transformations. 

  
  


🗲🗲🗲

By the time the meeting was complete, the feast had ended. Remus was shown the way to the Gryffindor Tower by McGonagall. “Shoebill.” The portrait opened and Remus was led to his dormitory. 

“Remus, hi!” Sirius greeted him. Looking around, he saw that Peter and James were also here.

“Oh brilliant, we’re all in the same dorm!” Peter said with excitement. 

Remus began to unpack his few belongings. It was officially the start to a new and exciting year.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from Melanie's song "Ring Around The Moon"


End file.
